Citizen legislature

A citizen legislature is a legislative chamber made up primarily of citizens who have a full-time occupation besides being a legislator. Such citizen legislatures can be found on the state level, as in some U.S. states, or on the national level as in Switzerland.[1]

Legislatures in the U.S. considered to be citizen legislatures include Montana,[2] Nevada,[3] Idaho,[4] New Mexico,[5] North Carolina,[6] North Dakota,[7] Oregon,[8] Utah,[9] Virginia[10] and Wyoming.[11]

Many other states in the US, by contrast, have a professional legislature. James Madison wrote in Federalist No. 62 that "It is not possible that an assembly of men called for the most part from pursuits of a private nature, continued in appointment for a short time, and led by no permanent motive to devote intervals of public occupation to a study of the laws, the affairs, and the comprehensive interests of their country, should, if left wholly to themselves, escape a variety of important errors in the exercise of their legislative trust."[12] [13]

See also

References
  1. "Die Legislative ist ein Miliz-Parlament - SWI swissinfo.ch". Retrieved 2016-12-13.
  2. "Montana State Legislature". Government of the 'State of Montana'. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  3. "Nevada Legislature". Government of Nevada. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  4. "Idaho Legislature". Government of the 'State of Idaho'.
  5. "New Mexico Legislature (Legislatura de Nuevo México)". Government of New Mexico. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  6. "North Carolina General Assembly". Government of North Carolina. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  7. "North Dakota Legislative Assembly". North Dakota State Government. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  8. "Oregon Legislative Assembly". Government of the U.S. state of Oregon. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  9. "Utah State Legislature". Government of Utah. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  10. "Virginia General Assembly". Government of Virginia. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  11. "Wyoming State Legislature". Government of the 'State of Wyoming'. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  12. Madison, James ("Publius") (February 27, 1788). "Federalist No. 62". The Federalist. New York Packet.
  13. "Federalist No. 62". The Avalon Project. Lillian Goldman Law Library, 'Yale Law School'. Retrieved 25 April 2023.


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